to the supermarket. I would have called again, but the text you sent me was cool and distant. I didn’t want to push you, if you’d decided you didn’t want to see me again.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to keep in contact with me when you had so much to worry about.”
“Look, I have to sort out this situation with the club,” I began.
“I know. It’s fine. I didn’t expect you to come back and continue from where you left off.”
“Let me finish.” Finally, I reached out to touch his shoulder. “I was going to say I’d like for us to start this again, if you want to. But I need a few days to deal with everything first.”
“I do want to.” Sasha’s gorgeous green eyes lit up as he smiled. “And I can wait.”
“I’m glad.” I lifted my hand from his shoulder and touched his face. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to prevent all this. I hate the thought of what might have happened.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m okay.”
He didn’t look okay, but I let it go. Reluctantly, I rose from the sofa. “I’ll be here tomorrow. I asked for the bar staff and Ralph to come in and meet me at two o’clock. Perhaps we could have a late lunch afterward and talk some more?”
Sasha nodded and stood too. “I’ll be ready. Let me know when you’ve finished with your meeting.”
I lingered another moment, longing to give him a kiss. Even if it were only a peck on the lips, it would have been something. But I felt as if we needed to start at the beginning again. There’d be plenty of time. I was delighted he still wanted to see me.
“Wait. Your coat.” Sasha stopped me as I opened the door. He grabbed up my overcoat from a chair.
“Thanks.” I took it and left him alone. I shivered as I left the building, and I quickly found a taxi to take me home. As soon as I sank into the warm interior of the car, the adrenaline that kept me going for the past few hours deserted me. I could barely keep my eyes open and was only blearily aware of the driver stopping the car. Mumbling an apology, I pulled out my wallet to pay him. When I reached my penthouse, I merely stripped down to my underwear and fell into bed. Everything else could wait a few hours.
Despite my exhaustion, I found it impossible to fall asleep right away. Everything that had happened that day went around and around in my head. The missing money, Karel’s behavior, the prostitutes, the treatment of the staff. One thing I hadn’t considered was the trouble the club could have been in if anyone reported sex workers being on the premises. At least one of them, Rosta, was a minor. My instinct was to report Karel for everything he’d done, but in doing so, I’d probably bring myself down with him. I couldn’t be held to blame, but what about the staff? There’d be an investigation and the club would probably have to close for a while. They’d temporarily lose their jobs and perhaps look for others. The club’s and my own reputation would plummet, and business would suffer in the future.
All those thoughts made me toss and turn, rubbing my throbbing temples as I struggled to make the right decision. I hadn’t even spoken to Karel yet, but it seemed that whatever I did, I was going to have to do it myself. It would be the best thing for everyone. With Rosta gone and the other two boys to be dealt with the next day, perhaps that part of it could be forgotten without any comeback. I had yet to decide what to do about Karel’s betrayal.
Eventually, I slipped into a fitful sleep, my dreams haunted by what had happened already, and what was to come.
Chapter Seven
I MANAGED to get five hours sleep before I dragged myself out of bed and into a hot shower. I found bread in the freezer and made toast to go with the strong coffee I brewed. Feeling more human, I put on my fleece-lined leather jacket and a pair of gloves. It took me ten minutes to find a taxi, and by the time I climbed
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to keep in contact with me when you had so much to worry about.”
“Look, I have to sort out this situation with the club,” I began.
“I know. It’s fine. I didn’t expect you to come back and continue from where you left off.”
“Let me finish.” Finally, I reached out to touch his shoulder. “I was going to say I’d like for us to start this again, if you want to. But I need a few days to deal with everything first.”
“I do want to.” Sasha’s gorgeous green eyes lit up as he smiled. “And I can wait.”
“I’m glad.” I lifted my hand from his shoulder and touched his face. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to prevent all this. I hate the thought of what might have happened.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m okay.”
He didn’t look okay, but I let it go. Reluctantly, I rose from the sofa. “I’ll be here tomorrow. I asked for the bar staff and Ralph to come in and meet me at two o’clock. Perhaps we could have a late lunch afterward and talk some more?”
Sasha nodded and stood too. “I’ll be ready. Let me know when you’ve finished with your meeting.”
I lingered another moment, longing to give him a kiss. Even if it were only a peck on the lips, it would have been something. But I felt as if we needed to start at the beginning again. There’d be plenty of time. I was delighted he still wanted to see me.
“Wait. Your coat.” Sasha stopped me as I opened the door. He grabbed up my overcoat from a chair.
“Thanks.” I took it and left him alone. I shivered as I left the building, and I quickly found a taxi to take me home. As soon as I sank into the warm interior of the car, the adrenaline that kept me going for the past few hours deserted me. I could barely keep my eyes open and was only blearily aware of the driver stopping the car. Mumbling an apology, I pulled out my wallet to pay him. When I reached my penthouse, I merely stripped down to my underwear and fell into bed. Everything else could wait a few hours.
Despite my exhaustion, I found it impossible to fall asleep right away. Everything that had happened that day went around and around in my head. The missing money, Karel’s behavior, the prostitutes, the treatment of the staff. One thing I hadn’t considered was the trouble the club could have been in if anyone reported sex workers being on the premises. At least one of them, Rosta, was a minor. My instinct was to report Karel for everything he’d done, but in doing so, I’d probably bring myself down with him. I couldn’t be held to blame, but what about the staff? There’d be an investigation and the club would probably have to close for a while. They’d temporarily lose their jobs and perhaps look for others. The club’s and my own reputation would plummet, and business would suffer in the future.
All those thoughts made me toss and turn, rubbing my throbbing temples as I struggled to make the right decision. I hadn’t even spoken to Karel yet, but it seemed that whatever I did, I was going to have to do it myself. It would be the best thing for everyone. With Rosta gone and the other two boys to be dealt with the next day, perhaps that part of it could be forgotten without any comeback. I had yet to decide what to do about Karel’s betrayal.
Eventually, I slipped into a fitful sleep, my dreams haunted by what had happened already, and what was to come.
Chapter Seven
I MANAGED to get five hours sleep before I dragged myself out of bed and into a hot shower. I found bread in the freezer and made toast to go with the strong coffee I brewed. Feeling more human, I put on my fleece-lined leather jacket and a pair of gloves. It took me ten minutes to find a taxi, and by the time I climbed
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